Rader, Janet S., MD

Dr. Janet S. Rader became the Jack A. & Elaine D. Klieger Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2009. She earned her medical degree from the University of Missouri, completed residency training at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, and a gynecologic oncology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology.

A physician-scientist, Dr. Rader’s career spans more than three decades of clinical care, research, team science, and workforce development. Her practice focuses on the management of gynecologic cancers. Recognized among the nation’s leading gynecologic oncologists, she has been named to U.S. News & World Report’s Top Doctors list and is ranked among the top physicians in her specialty nationwide.

Supported by the NIH, ACS, and other national funding agencies, Dr. Rader’s research focuses on the molecular drivers of gynecologic cancers and their translation into new treatment strategies. She has led investigator-initiated and cooperative group clinical trials incorporating translational research endpoints.

A nationally recognized leader in collaborative science, Dr. Rader served on the steering committee for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Ovarian Pilot Project and co-chaired the TCGA Cervical Cancer Disease Working Group. She was co-leader and corresponding author of the landmark 2017 Nature publication, Integrated Genomic and Molecular Characterization of Cervical Cancer, involving more than 300 investigators across 50 institutions. She also co-chaired the cervical cancer working group for the NIH HIV+ Tumor Molecular Characterization Project and contributed to multiple pan-cancer analyses. In recognition of these collaborative achievements, she shared the 2020 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Team Science Award.

Dr. Rader has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and has served on editorial boards, cooperative group committees, and national and international review panels.

Mentorship and workforce development have been central to Dr. Rader’s career, spanning trainees, physicians, and staff. As Principal Investigator of the NCI-funded SPARCC R25 program, she has expanded undergraduate cancer research opportunities through local and national partnerships. She also co-leads ENHANCE-M, an early-career enrichment program within the NIH-funded U54 Maternal Health Research Center of Excellence. Since 2023, she has served as Associate Director for Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) at the MCW Cancer Center, advancing institutional efforts in research training, mentorship, and career development.

In addition to leading the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Rader continues to advance research, education, and patient care in women’s health and gynecologic oncology.